Reprogramming
by Kanadajin
Summary: After SG-1 wakes up under the rubble of a collapsed roof, they need to find out what happened before more than just the roof collapses. - will update again, busy with finals right now though. sorry -
1. Intro

What Goes On?

Daniel groaned as he felt his ribs slowly collapsing under the weight of the rocks piled over him. Nearby where he lay pinned under the rocks were sprawled the remainder of SG-1 and the gate room staff in various states of consciousness, unconsciousness, and a few appeared to have met their end in the chaotic gate room.

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel looked over beside him to see Teal'c in a similar position as himself.

"Teal'c?"

The large alien man closed his eyes wearily and made a small nodding movement.

"You are trapped under the rocks too, Daniel Jackson. How are you feeling?"

"Well, Teal'c," Daniel wheezed, feeling the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, "I feel like I'm slowly being crushed by a few tons of rock – you?"

Teal'c actually smiled, much to Daniel's amazement.

"I feel much the same as you."

"Oh, well look at this," a disembodied voice said from above their heads. "What a lovely last moment together."

A bright light caused both Tau'ri and Jaffa to snap their eyes shut and a high pitched squeal brought around a mercifully silent blackness.

* * *

Sam awoke with a start only to wish she were still asleep. 

The gate room was strewn with bodies and piles of rock that had tumbled down from the ceiling. Next to her lay a young marine – a shard of debris embedded into his scull.

The blond woman attempted to rise from the ground to discover herself held down by a strange weight – something covered in green cloth.

Holding back a scream, Sam recognized the silver hair as belonging to her armour, General O'Neill. From the way he was sprawled over her, she could only assume that he had been protecting her from something – from a blast, maybe.

Sam searched for a pulse and felt her own heart begin beating once more when she found a faint, yet steady beat.

Now Carter had a new mystery – what had happened and why was the gate room now a tomb?


	2. Selim

_Two months earlier_

"Selim, this isn't a good time."

"I am truly sorry, Dr Jackson, but I was forced to find some form of communication."

Daniel looked at the willowy Toak'ra in amazement.

"By suddenly appearing out of no-where in my bathroom?"

Selim/Osatahar blushed and turned as Daniel scurried past her to his bedroom, hands clutching the towel wrapped around his waist.

"As I have said, I am very sorry, but it was urgent to speak with you."

"Well, Selim," Jackson poked his head out the door and glared at the intruder, "you could have always just used a telephone."

Selim cocked her head to the side, "that is the contraption used to carry the voice from one place to another, much like a radio?"

"Yes," came the muffled reply, as the still-sudsy archaeologist threw on a shirt and pants, "just like it – you've used them before. It's also called a phone for short."

"Ahh, I see now."

Daniel shook his head and kicked a pile of dirty clothes on his floor looking for a pair of clean socks. The clothes started to move in the direction he had kicked them, then they started floating and began folding themselves and drifting into piles of similar colours.

"Um, Selim… is that you doing that?"

The Toak'ra's voice came from the hallway, a relief to Daniel, with an almost amused tone in her voice. "It is not physically me, Dr Jackson. I am using my new powers, they are quite intriguing."

"Okay, well… how about starting to tell me about why you are here?"

The invisible hands that were folding the dirty laundry seemed to falter as a few random socks dropped and motion stopped for a second.

"It is something that must be discussed in person, I am afraid."

Daniel sighed and grabbed a pair of floating socks.

Emerging fully dressed, while still somewhat damp, Daniel guided Selim through his apartment to the small living room that was filled with books, maps, strange pieces of artifacts, and a dusty looking TV. Stacked on top of the TV were equally as dusty movie cases with such titles as Star Trek, Star Wars, Dune, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones, and, strangely enough, the first full season of The Sopranos.

Selim traced the lettering on the boxes then frowned at the thick layer of dust that had been rubbed on to her finger.

"This is an interesting place of living, doctor. It is extremely un-military like."

Daniel chuckled, "that's a nice way of saying that this place is a sty."

"Well," Selim grinned, "I suppose so."

"So what's so important, Selim?"

The young woman bowed her head and her eyes flashed alarmingly.

"We have intercepted messages from the systems lord Bashir concerning his brother Akil Anwar and his younger sisters Dajimila, Inayat, Nilofer, Nadira and Jahanara Salima."

"That's a pretty big family for the Goa'uld. I've heard of Bashir and Akil – what's important about their sisters?"

Selim's eyes flashed signifying intense emotion, "You still have trouble seeing women as a threat – a common Tau'ri fault."

Daniel put up his hands in surrender, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I said anything."

Selim sighed and blinked as Osatahar took control of her body.

"Selim doesn't mean to be rude, Daniel, and I'm sorry that we surprised you, but I am still unsure of your technology and preferred to go about this my own way."

"It's okay, Osatahar; I completely understand… sort of. Well, anyways, what is the big importance about two minor system lords and their sisters?"

Osatahar grinned, "I think I should let Selim answer that one, it's a 'doozey of a tale' as some might say."

"Thank you, Osatahar," Selim took over the conversation, "for the introduction. Well, doctor Jackson, as you know the Goa'uld rarely are in good relations with siblings and most often kill one another in childhood or in wars against one another in competition for their parents' power, status, and approval. Unlike most, however, the children of Dilawar and Zehna worked together for much of known time building armies of Jaffa and conquering many worlds. They ruled their systems differently than others, too.

"Instead of the general 'worship me or die' thing, they took a more peaceful approach and created wonderful civilizations of Jaffa and Tau'ri on several planets. Slavery was not an issue here – they kept their armies, but the soldiers were not fearful. The Dila'hna family remained such this way for many centuries – they set up constitutional monarchies and their subjects grew prosperous. All was wonderful but for the two youngest children - Akil Anwar and Jahanara Salima, who fought between themselves constantly."

Selim paused to allow Daniel to soak up this information.

"Akil Anwar wished to mobilize the Dila'hna's Jaffa and take over nearby systems and overthrow the then lowly Apophasis. Jahanara Salima wished to dissolve the military and retreat into silence – allowing the system lords to battle amongst themselves and to stay out of their way. Eventually, Akil Anwar attacked Jahanara Salima, breaking the trust of his family. Squabbled broke out amongst the children – Dilawar and Zehna attempted to stop the foolishness of their offspring, but things escalated out of control and Akil Anwar killed them. I will shorten this story as much as possible, but as it is now – the children of the house of Dila'hna joined together once more with the exception of Jahanara Salima. They are assembling a collective force and are steadily becoming a terrible threat to the galaxy."

Daniel whistled and leaned back in his recliner.

"That was a doozey of a tale. So are these Dila'hna still as good to their subjects, and what happened to this Jahanara Salima?"

Selim/Osatahar sighed.

"Does the name Jahanara Salima have any meaning to you?"

"Ummm, it's old Arabic – Jahanara is a title, 'Queen of the univerce', and Salima means happiness or security. So I'm assuming that this particular Goa'uld was an important sibling, probably had the favor of her parents in order to be named that way, and from your description of her personality, either the Salima referred to the state her people were in or her own personal security in her position as favorite."

Selim smiled, "that is very close, very close. Yet you tend to use the past tense."

"Well, I can only assume that she was killed in the war," Daniel shrugged, "or she is in hiding."

Selim/Osatahar clapped her hands in joy, "there you have it, Doctor Jackson. There you have it indeed."

Daniel looked confused, "I've got what?"

The beautiful woman that was one of the oldest among the Toak'ra drew herself up to her full height and made a sweeping motion with her hand.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson, you know me simply as Selim – Selim is a 'nickname' as you call it. My full name is, as you may now be guessing, Salima Jahanara Dila'hna. Also known as Nanaea, Anahita, and Artemis"

Daniel was stunned and all he could think of was a simple, resounding, 'oh.'

Selim/Osatahar smiled.

**Gate Room - Earth**

Sam had managed to roll O'Neill off of her and into the rest position – he had only one visible wound, to the surprise of Samantha Carter, but it was a terrible one. A slender and twisting shard of metal had impaled itself in his back, possibly damaging his spine and who knows what kinds of internal damages it was doing to him.

The blond and blue eyed major looked around the chaotic gate room in despair.

How had this happened?

**Goa'uld world**

Daniel opened his eyes only to wish he hadn't.

Standing over him with glowing eyes was a rather pissed off looking Goa'uld holding a ribbon device out in front of him, aimed at the captive archaeologist.

"Where, is my sister?"

Daniel blinked and felt like his stomach was rushing up his throat.

"Your sister… who are you?"

But Daniel already knew who this Goa'uld had to be and was punished for it.

"You will tell me where my treacherous sister is or I will cause not only you but your Jaffa companion to know the feel of skin being pulled from the bone and limbs slowly torn off."

Another bout of bright white pain seared Daniel and the young man screamed in pain, "I don't know where she is, I don't know."

The pain stopped and Daniel went limp in the chains that held him up against the cold stone wall. A face with gleaming eyes came unnervingly close to his and smiled.

"I am not convinced – perhaps I should allow my dear brother Akil come and interrogate you. He had such a… deeper relationship with my wretch of a sister," the Goa'uld whispered in an almost snakelike voice. "Or you could save yourself and your companion and tell us now. Either way we will find the traitor Salima, whether you decide to help us on your own free will or no."

Daniel, in a rather unstable mental state due to the torture of his broken body, did the only thing he could think of. He did the 'what would Jack say now', looked at Goa'uld he now knew for certain to be Bashir and grinned lopsidedly.

"You call her Salima and not the name your parents gave to her – Jahanara, Queen of the universe? That's some amusing complex if you ask me – jealous of your own sister."

The Goa'uld responded to the 'Jack way' in the only way possible, and Daniel soon passed out once again into blissful oblivion.


	3. Daniel

**Earlier**

"So what exactly are you asking, Selim?"

The Toak'ra smiled mirthlessly at General O'Neill, he had never trusted any of the 'snakeheads', except Selmak/Jacob that is, and he wasn't about to change that habit.

"Just for a little bit of help from you and that's about it."

"What kind of help do you need," Carter asked, spreading her hands out on the table top.

Selim/Osatahara pulled a strange device out of her pocket and set it down on the table. It was made of a dull silvery metal and had smooth runes etched in swirling patterns all around it.

Daniel's eyes practically lit up as he made a mad grab for the thing and began studying the writing. "Its one of those projectors, like the one Jacob showed us," he surmised, turning it over in his hands. "But I can't tell how to activate it."

Selim smiled and the thing floated out of the archaeologist's hands and rotated slowly above their heads before drifting down and gently landing in the middle of the table.

A family tree appeared and the symbols glowed.

"Wow, cool," O'Neill commented as Selim touched one of the symbols with a finger and a miniature person appeared dresses in strange robes and an over-the-top headdress.

"This is Dajimila, my oldest sister. She controls these systems," another finger movement caused a star chart to appear with several planetary systems highlighted in blue.

For the next few hours, Selim/Osatahara gave an in-depth account of her family, the systems they controlled, the resources on the planets, their defenses, and general personality traits outside the 'snaky and evil' category.

Finally, they came to three non-glowing symbols grouped together. The first two, she said, belonged to her mother and father. Then, touching the third, appeared the image of a young woman in a vampiresque looking costume and hairdo.

"That," Selim sighed and shook her head at the figure, "was me, around a few hundred years ago."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the costume and looked back and forth from the gothic looking woman in the hologram to the one sitting at the table across from him.

"Okay… and you thought you looked good in that?"

A chorus of groans from those seated around the table made him shrug and look at them as if to say 'what?'

**Goa'uld world**

"Look, I already told you, I don't know where she is."

"You lie, human," the Goa'uld's eyes flashed and another burst of pain tore through Daniel's body. "As all of your kind does, you lie!"

The pain was unendurable, and it seemed like his entire soul was alit with fire.

Again, pain washed over him and all Daniel could do was weep and mutter, "I don't know where she is…"

Finally, after hours of torture, it stopped and the Goa'uld left.

Two burly Jaffa picked him up by the arms, though he was so light now that one could easily have done the same job alone, and dragged him back to the cell he shared with Teal'c.

"Daniel Jackson."

"Teal'c"

It was all that was needed to be said, no words could help either of them then, and Daniel could only think back on a time Jack had told him about. When Jack had been captured and tortured endlessly, Daniel had come to him in his cell and tried to teach him how to ascend… but now here he was, back in the mortal plane, and no one to come and help him. He doubted that he would be allowed to ascend again, and he didn't have the strength to even last long enough to help Teal'c.

Daniel's eyes closed and stillness overtook him.

While he slept, the Jaffa returned and took Teal'c away with them.

_Later_

Daniel rocked back and forth in a fetal position, arms wrapped tightly around his knees and head tucked under them.

"Human, this is the last time I will ask you nicely."

A face appeared next to his – it was filled with compassion and tears filled the large grey eyes. "Please, all you need do is say one little thing and you can go free."

Daniel looked over at the woman crouched next to him.

"No, I can't. I can't"

The woman clucked and stroked his long, unkept hair.

"Of course you can – no one would blame you, certainly not these supposed friends of yours. They must know that you could not help but to tell us where Salima is, why else would they not have come back for you?"

Daniel moved away from the woman and gritted his teeth.

"They will come for me."

"But poppet," she cried, putting an arm around his thin shoulders, "it has been nearly a full year now. If they were coming, don't you not think that they would have by now?"

A whimper was her only reply.

"Or didn't you realize that's how long you've been here? Yes, poppet, you've been in the keeping of Bashir for eleven and a half of your Terran months, now. We have monitored your people; they made no attempt to rescue you since the Jaffa escaped. They have called one man known as 'Jonas Quinn' from another world to replace you. They have indeed, poppet," the woman cooed into his ear, "abandoned you."

A spark lit in his eyes and something clicked in Daniel's mind.

"They aren't coming?"

With a sad smile, the woman took Daniel's head in her hands and looked him in the eyes.

"No, poppet, they're not."

**Control room**

Colonel Carter paced back and forth in front of the control panel.

"Where is he," she fumed.

"Off world activation!"

Sam pumped her fist and turned to watch at the date dialed in and a burst of blue dazzled the wall behind the iris.

"Ma'am," called the young woman behind the computer. "It's a Toak'ra id signal."

Sam nodded.

"Open the iris."

The metal spiraled open and the simmering blue portal appeared.

A few seconds later Jacob Carter and a pale looking Jack O'Neill stepped through and into the gate room.

Carter wasted no time running out of the command center to meet them.

"Dad," Sam raced over to her father and gave him a bear hug.

"Hey Sam," her dad grinned.

A tap on her shoulder broke up their family bonding moment, and O'Neill stood next to her, grinning like an idiot with his arms wide open.

"Don't I get a hug?"

Carter blushed and they exchanged a small, but meaningful embrace.

Once they broke apart, seeing the look on Jacob's face, Jack shrugged and said 'what?'

"After all, I was the one who almost died… again."


	4. Nadira

**Goa'uld World**

"The human has served his purpose, dispose of him."

"Brother, I think you should reconsider – this Daniel Jackson would make a far greater weapon to us than would any knowledge of the Tau'ri that he gave to us."

"Explain."

Bowing, the green robed Goa'uld cackled sinisterly.

"My brother, this particular Tau'ri is held in the hearts of many of the Tau'ri and Toak'ra. If we were to send him back as one of our agents, to infiltrate their trust, he could sow the destruction of our enemies."

Akil Anwar leaned back in his throne.

"Indeed, brother. That is a very good idea."

Bashir, then, nodded at the young woman next to him.

"Proceed."

* * *

"Daniel, poppet! You've come so far – don't let a foul temper ruin this."

The bruised and bleeding archaeologist clamped his mouth shut and refused to make the slightest move.

"Poppet, don't you want to go back to your friends?"

Daniel opened an eye warily.

"They are still alive? You didn't kill them when you took me?"

The woman knelt down beside him and brushed a wayward strand of hair off of his damp forehead, sighing.

"Poppet – why would I do something like that? Hmm," she gently stroked the side of his face, smiling as her soft fingers rubbed against the roughness of his beard. "It pains me to see you like this, Daniel. Why do you let the Jaffa do this to you?"

Daniel shook his head, and she withdrew her hand.

"I do it because I don't have any other options, now do I?"

A sigh was his only answer.

"Are they really still alive?"

The woman nodded.

"And they really aren't looking for me?"

Again, she nodded.

Daniel closed his eyes, struggling to fight off tears.

This was a nightmare of his, that all his friends gave up on him and left him alone. He had dreamed it after he descended, but it had reoccurred almost every night for the past month or more. It was driving him to the brink of despair – or insanity.

"Daniel, luv, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing…nothing."

"Are you sure? If you wish to ask me a question, feel free."

Daniel looked over at the woman.

She was quite lovely. Not beautiful or gorgeous, but lovely.

She didn't dress like a Goa'uld, as he suspected she was, nor was she clothed in the costume of a Jaffa. She wore a simple white gown with long white sleeves and pale brown ribbons braided through her almost white hair.

"I do have a question," he finally said.

She smiled and helped him sit up so that he was at eye level with her.

"What is it?"

Daniel smiled slightly, a bit of a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"What is your name?"

* * *

**Earth **

"It's good to have you back, sir."

O'Neill looked over at the young naval officer standing next to him.

"Wow... who are you?"

The young man looked abashed.

"I'm the new archaeologist on SG-5… Dr. Jackson got you to recruit me?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack faked. "Right, good to be back… yeah."

Carter said something to get rid of the young man and they went back on their way to Jack's office.

"Who was that now?"

Carter shook her head, "he's one of Daniel's old friends from college or something – he pulled some strings and got him a job here."

"But he's a sailor… and what was with his uniform?"

Jacob Carter snorted from behind him.

"You can't tell the uniforms of two different militaries apart? You need to be more observant, Jack. That kid was Canadian, he had it written on his sleeves and maple leafs everywhere."

O'Neill scrunched his forehead and dropped into his big chair with confusion written in his eyes. "Why is a Canadian navy guy in a top secret American air base?"

Both Carters shook their heads in annoyance.

"Let's get back into business, shall we?"

O'Neill raised his hands and nodded, "sure."

"So, Sam… what the hell happened?"

* * *

**Goa'uld world**

Daniel withdrew from Nadira's warm embrace and rubbed his hands over his eyes.

Nadira, which was the lovely woman's name, slept peacefully next to him on the small cot in his cell.

Daniel cursed at himself.

What was he doing? Why wasn't he trying to find a way to escape?  
A soft noise from the sleeping form next to him told him why.

He was falling in love with her – with his own captor! His tormentor!

The young man stood and began pacing up and down in his cell.

Was this some sort of a plan to make him turn on his friends… or was what she said true?

Did they abandon him… called up that Jonas bastard again and go off on their merry way, saving the galaxy without him? Never giving poor captured Daniel a second thought?

But what about Teal'c… the Jaffa would never leave him here without at least making an attempt to free him. He escaped and didn't bother to try to save Daniel while he was at it?

Daniel punched the cell wall.

His hand exploded with pain and he was sure he felt a knuckle or two break.

"Daniel!"

The miserable man looked up over the wounded fist he nursed and saw that he had woken Nadira with his outburst.

"Poppet, you've hurt yourself!"

She got up and quickly went over to him, taking his reddening fist in her hands and examining it. Daniel winced as she touched a particularly sore spot.

"It's broken. I've got to get you to the doctor," she said softly.

Daniel moved to follow her, but she stopped him with a hand. She looked at him with a gleam in her eye and looked down at herself.

"I guess we should get dressed first, eh?"

* * *

**Earth**

"So… Daniel and Teal'c just disappeared?"

Sam nodded.

"The security camera in the gate room saw them briefly for a moment when the dust had cleared. They were pinned under a piece of the collapsed roof, and then… poof, they were gone."

Jack shook his head in disbelief.

"But leading up to that… how did the room collapse? I just remember opening the portal then… BOOM… waking up with the whole Toak'ra thing."

Sam Carter shrugged and glanced over at her dad, who was busily studying the video footage of the accident.

"I'm not sure… nothing could have come through the gate, so it had to have been on our end. Maybe a power fluxuation or… I don't know… an earth tremor?"

"Not necessarily, Sam."

O'Neill and Samantha looked over at the frowning Toak'ra.

"What is it dad?"

"Take a look at this," Jacob pointed at the screen.

They watched in slow motion as a small grenade shaped object rolled through the Star Gate and down the ramp before detonating.

Sam looked to be in shock. "But that's impossible! Wormholes are one way only!"

Jack and Jacob met eyes… both flashing in the dim light of the ready room.

"But was this an outgoing or an incoming wormhole?"

Sam looked from her commanding officer to her father, understanding written on her face.

"Someone dialled us up just as we were dialling out… we didn't notice, because we were expecting one anyways!"

Jack nodded.

"But who dialled us is the question."

* * *

**Goa'uld world**

"So is your plan working, brother?"

Bashir bowed and smiled at his younger brother.

"Indeed, brother, it is. Nadira is making great success with the tau'ri, and he has no idea who she is, even after she told him her name."

Akil frowned, "I thought this Tau'ri was supposed to be intelligent?"

"Ah, but brother," Bashir quickly took a step back, "he is intelligent on their level, but he is no match though for our kind. Lo, even our sister makes a fool of this supposed enlightened man. We can plan to go ahead with the plans… perhaps we will be ahead of schedule."

Akil smiled and held a hand out to his brother, "that is indeed very good news."

Bashir took his brother's hand and beamed with delight, "of course, my brother!"

In less than a moment Akil had his brother pinned to the ground and a spiked boot placed upon his neck. Bashir only had time to blubber the word, "Akil!" before his neck snapped and the light in his eyes dimmed.

Akil stood strait and motioned to his Jaffa.

Stepping away from his brother's body the Goa'uld sneered and snarled as his Jaffa dragged it out of the room.

"Very good news indeed."

* * *

ooh... interesting, eh? FYI - I'm not sure if I'm going to have the Asguard in this fanfic... they're there, but don't have as large a part as they've been having lately in the serries.

Also - thanks for all the great reviews... I'm not sure what I'm goin to be doing in the romance department with the characters, other than the latest developments, of course. I think that I'll leave Jack and Sam alone for right now and focus on other things... I don't really like them, either. too... I dono. reminds me of camp last summer... I was a PO2 and I was having an 'on again- off again' relationship with the PO1 in my division... sigh... so strange.


	5. Jack

**Goa'uld world**

"The plan is going well and on schedule, now that our fool of a brother is out of the way there shouldn't be anymore power struggles here."

"Of course, brother… but Bashir was no threat to you."

Akil smiled. A cold, terrible smile.

"And may that serve as a reminder to you all, my _dear_ sisters."

The women bowed low and departed, chilled to the bone.

Akil Anwar smiled again, eyes flashing as he watched them leave.

Very good news, indeed.

* * *

Daniel groaned.

While Nadira was gone the Jaffa had returned.

And this time they did not hold back in the least.

For hours, it seemed, they tormented him with the pain sticks and the occasional right hook to the jaw, gut, groin, you name it and it was bruised. But not once did they as him any questions. In fact, they were completely silent until Nadira returned, screaming at them to leave him alone.

They left at her command, and she fell to the floor beside him.

"Daniel, darling! What did you do? Why did you provoke them?"

Daniel gasped as she pulled him over and up on to the mattress.

"I didn't do anything," Nadira shook her head in sorrow and disbelief at his words.

"But they wouldn't touch you unless provoked, what did you do?"

"Nothing," the bloodied man cried, clutching an aching arm to his chest.

Nadira stroked his forehead as she always did when the Jaffa had hurt him.

"Did you curse at them?"

Daniel shook his head.

"Did you make some sort of physical threat?"

Again he shook his aching head.

"What about your nonverbal speech? Were you passive or aggressive?"

The corner of his mouth twitched and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I might have been glaring a little," he confessed.

Nadira sighed and cupped Daniel's bruised face in her hands.

"Love, you shouldn't! The smallest excuse and they'll kill you, and there's nothing I can do to stop them if that happens. Don't make me loose you," she cried, touching her smooth forehead to his.

Like that they stayed for a long time.

Almost touching lips but not quite, as his body slowly healed.

* * *

**Earth, earlier**

"I don't see the point in this little operation. Not many Jaffa will be willing to listen to a washed up systems lord and the former first prime of a dead Goa'uld."

Braítac and Selim/Osatahara exchanged equally annoyed glances. Braítac rolling his eyes, Selim flaring hers.

O'Neill shrugged and held out his hands.

"Hey, I only speak in caution… y'know. Just be careful."

Again, Braítac rolled his eyes, but Selim… or rather, Salima, smiled and shook the general's hand.

"Take care of Daniel," she leaned close and whispered lightly into his ear.

Osatahar was a pretty girl, O'Neill realized, and was possibly falling for the resident nerd and chief know-it-all Danny-boy.

He smiled back at the Toak'ra and nodded his head, "sure."

In the background the shimmering wormhole burst open and engulfed the room in a glistening blue light.

Giving the two daring adventurers a mock salute and moving back to stand next to the silent Teal'c, Brigadier General J. O'Neill watched as the two robed forms disappeared through the 'gate.

The 'gate disengaged and he turned to see an apprehensive look on the solitary Jaffa's face. O'Neill patted the large man's shoulder and said that the old guy would be okay.

Teal'c nodded, but turned away without a word and left the gate room.

Jack sighed, looking over at the strange ring covered in meaningless (to him) symbols and other junk and, not for the first time, how the hell he had gotten himself into this mess?

* * *

**Briefing room**

Daniel watched as the 'gate disengaged and turned to the Carters.

"Is it just me, or does something just not feel right about this?"

Father and daughter exchanged anxious glances and turned back towards the window and gazed absentmindedly at the stargate, wondering, and not for the first time, how the hell he had gotten himself into this mess?

* * *

**Later**

"Carter!"

Jacob and Sam looked up in surprise at O'Neill's shout.

"In English, please!"

Jacob snickered, but this was far too routine for Sam's liking.

"Just read a science magazine or something and get up to speed, I don't always have time to simplify _everything for you!"_

Both men were shocked by Sam's outburst, but neither even thought for a second of contradicting her. Jack had even taken a small step back.

The little voice in his head told him that he really should try to understand what she's saying if he ever wants to try and get a relationship going, but Jack quickly shook his head and dismissed the thought. That new addition to his personality since the attack/accident, whatever it was, would take some getting used to, but in the meantime it was spoiling his fun.

'I guess almost dying does that to a person… but wait a minute… I've nearly died lots of times! Heck, I think I died quite a few times back there when that smarmy snake had me… that's when Daniel came to me in my cell…'

Jack pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, though he knew it wouldn't do any good. That little voice kept nudging at him, and it was driving him nuts.

"Damn it, why the hell are we doing this when we should be finding Daniel and Teal'c?"

Sam bit her lip and Jacob wrapped an arm around her protectively.

Jack's shoulders slumped and dropped his head as he leaned against the bulkhead in Sam's lab.

"I'm sorry," he said in an unusually deep and hoarse voice.

The Carter's were silent except for a small sniffle from Sam.

O'Neill looked up, his eyes flashing brightly in the dim lab light.

"We'll find them."

Jacob smiled distractedly, reaching over to pat Jack's shoulder.

"We will."

* * *

**Goa'uld world**

"We will get no more from the human – he is dry of knowledge. However, the Jaffa still proves defiant and refuses to share a handful of memories."

Akil's eyes flashed dangerously, "How is this possible?"

The female Goa'uld bowed deeply, covering her face with her veil.

"He is strong, brother. He is unsusceptible to the misinformation we have attempt to feed him with. However, he has run out of this 'tritonen' medicine and is nearing death now."

The green robed false god waved a hand dismissively and flashed his eyes.

"Dump the Jaffa on one of the planets their kind is in alliance with – let him be an example to them that I am not so easily crossed."

The blue robed female bowed again and quickly left her brother's throne room.

Under the veil, her mind whirled and a plot arose in her thoughts.

She hurried to find her sisters.

* * *

Daniel heard hushed whispers outside his cell.

One of the voices was Nadira, he could guess, but the other was different.

The muted conversation continued for some time, before fleeting footsteps disappeared in the opposite direction and Nadira crept back into the cell.

Daniel pretended to sleep.

"Stop it, poppet. I know you're awake."

Daniel frowned and sat up, "how'd you know I was awake?"

Nadira smiled and sat down on his lap, ruffling the prisoner's now quite shaggy brown hair. "I didn't."

The couple froze as a lone Jaffa stood in front of the force field of the cell.

Daniel's body immediately went rigid and his eyes dropped to the floor.

Nadira smiled.

* * *

**Earth**

"Sir, incoming wormhole from the Kelownan's."

O'Neill nodded and let Carter order the iris open.

First through was a familiar face – Jonas Quinn. But this face obviously wasn't a good thing, as it was written with sorrow and unshed tears.

Jonas moved to the side and looked over his shoulder as four men walked through, carrying a prone form on the stretcher between them.

O'Neill cursed and Carter gasped as they saw the gold mark of Apophasis on a still forehead.

They ran down to the sickbay, meeting Jonas just as they came around the corner carrying Teal'c.

"What the_ hell_, Jonas?"

The young man grasped his former CO's shoulders and forced him to look at him, not at the deathly still Jaffa.

"Colonel, erm, General O'Neill, you have to listen to me."

O'Neill tore his eyes away from his friend and looked into the deep eyes of the former member of his team. Those eyes had always intrigued him, something mysterious about them that he hadn't been able to identify until just then. The whites of his eyes were way whiter than most peoples'.

As though a sort of charm had taken hold of him, Jack's body slumped and his graying head dipped.

"What has happened here," he asked in that low, gravelly voice.

Jonas took a deep breath and tightened his grip on O'Neill's shoulders.

"It was just as we were dialing out on a mission, the gate opened and Teal'c was tossed through. Luckily we had some of the tritonen you sent us handy, we gave him a shot then dialed you up."

Carter touched Jonas' shoulder lightly, and he let go of O'Neill, who dropped down and cupped his head in his hands.

"You said it happened as you were dialing out? That's what happened to us, too. It must be their way of making sure there isn't something like the iris when they come through."

Jonas raised an eyebrow at Carter's comment.

"But how can they tell? Do they have some way of tapping in on which 'gates are dialing or what?"

Carter shrugged and looked down at the grieving General.

Jonas bit his lip and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay… but do you think you can tell me what's going on?"

'This new opponent has some way of spying on the star gates. This is unexpected. Selmak and Jacob will have their hands full when they hear about this new development.'

Jack stood up and absentmindedly wandered through the halls of the SGC.

_'Yeah, but how could it work? Do they have spies, or is there some kind of fancy techno junk reason, like they crossed their warp-drive capacitors with our gamma-quadrant positronic impulse engines, or something like that?'_

_'What's that supposed to mean?'_

_'How the hell should I know, but that's the kind of junk Carter is always babbling on about. Kinda like the stuff that Daniel jabbers on about, all in about thirty different languages… **damn**.'_

_'You're afraid that you're going to loose Daniel again, and you're beating yourself up over it. You need to focus on your work, you need to figure out where Selim went with Braítac.'_

_**"Shut up!"**_

"Sir?"

Jack looked around in surprise to see a young man standing next to him in the hallway.

It was that weird Canadian kid again.

"What's up, sailor? Anything new out and a-boot," Jack tried to crack a lame joke at the kid's expense, but only got a highly unwanted look of concern.

"Sir, you shouted 'shut up' at me," the Canadian commented uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

O'Neill looked at him with fury in his eyes, and the Canadian took a step back.

"Sorry, I meant, are you alright, sir?"

The pure guts of this kid caught him off guard and Jack felt himself about two centimeters away from bursting into uncontrollable laughter… or tears.

He patted the kid on the shoulder, "yeah, just a little bout of talking to myself." He tapped his forehead and grinned cockily, "just getting old and senile."

The kid grinned back and nodded his head, "noted, sir."

Strangely, Jack felt himself relaxing, like the tight knot in his stomach was finally working itself out and loosening his muscles. He didn't mind this kid.

The little voice in his head told him that he was near the dinning hall and that maybe it would do him some good to talk with someone. Talk to this kid.

"Want some jello? On me?"

The kid smiled and said he could go for some jello.

* * *

**Goa'uld world**

The pain was too much, and the voice floating in over it was almost even more painful to hear.

"They abandoned you to this! They left you here to be tormented, to suffer every day, every waking moment. They did this to you," the terrible voice accused.

"No," Daniel moaned, "no, they wouldn't. I know what you're trying to do, I won't!"

The pain paused for a moment.

A face appeared before him, and suddenly he felt like he was looking upon the very face of cruelty itself. It smiled.

"You won't? Not to save yourself?"

Daniel steeled himself for a new burst of pain.

It didn't come. Instead, his eyes were drawn to a bound and pale figure being dragged into the room.

"And you won't to save her?"

Quickly closing his eyes, Daniel heard the whistle of the pain stick being brought down on Nadira's bear back, her tormented screams, and the chuckling of the bastard Goa'uld.

On it went, he kept his eyes closed, but her cries were slowly breaking him.

Akil Anwar watched on with amusement as his Jaffa tormented his sister. She would recover fine enough, of course. This was necessary to break the Tau'ri.

Finally, the human cried out 'stop it, please, stop!'

Akil held up a hand and the screams slowly silenced.

"At what price?"

Daniel held his breath until his lungs screamed for oxygen.

_"Fuck you."_

He knew that was the wrong thing to say, and soon enough he payed for it, but at least, he thought as the pain dragged him into darkness, at least they aren't paying attention to Nadira anymore.

But before he was out and gone, a small thought drifted though his mind.

'_They left me here, and now Nadira's paying for it.'_

* * *

_Oooh, angsty!  
This is quite a creative streak I've hit, here. It's 1:45 am here and I think I might start up another chapter.  
I'm planning on not letting you in on a few things... you might figgure them out, and some of them you might not.  
Please, if you think you have figgured one of my little plot twists out, feel free to shout them out in a review. :)  
mwa ha ha ha, thats all folks.  
Oh... ps... is that Canadian crack from south park? Isn't there a song that goes something like 'blame Canada'? lol. fun fun fun. ;)_


	6. Gorran

**Earth – cafeteria**

"So… Canada, _eh_?"

The kid pulled a smiled, but it wasn't in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, sir. Daniel," the young man paused, contemplating how to word the next part without sounding offensive, "well, he warned me that some people might not like the idea."

Jack nodded, imagining how the wayward archaeologist would warn a fellow geek about him. "Yeah, I'd expect no less of ol' Danny-boy."

Eyeing up the young man, Jack tipped his head to the side and scrounged his memory for the kid's name, but came up with a blank.

'Just as him,' that annoying little voice piped up.

"So…" he checked out the stripes on the kid's shoulders, "you're a…captain?"

The kid grinned and patted his epaulettes.

"I wish, sir! Nope, I'm just a lowly Lieutenant."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the Canadian's pronunciation of his rank.

"Left-tenant? What's that?"

"The proper pronunciation, sir."

Jack eyed the kid up again, this time with a slight grin.

"Is that so, sailor?"

"Aye, sir."

"Smart ass," he muttered, rolling his eyes, much to the kid's amusement.

* * *

**Goa'uld world**

Hate.

It was all he could feel. Even when Nadira was with him, it was the only thing he knew.

They let that bastard Anwar hurt her, torture her!

They left him to die a horrible death and they would pay.

But for Nadira, things were different… and quite the same.

Her own brother, her own brother, had her tortured.

He had her debased in front of the Jaffa, and totally betrayed her trust.

Of course, it caused Daniel to break and finally begin to mold to their plan, but it had hurt her… it hurt her deeply. But then, she should have seen it coming – the bastard had killed their parents and brother without a second thought. Why would torturing another make any difference to him?

She sighed and cradled Daniel's fever-hot head in her lap.

"Daniel, poppet?"

There was no response.

Slowly, she lowered his head to the small cushion and slipped away from his sleeping form. She disengaged the field long enough for her to slip though, then ran off to find her sisters. They had some planning to do.

* * *

**Earth – cafeteria**

The two strangers had been talking for well over an hour before time caught up with them and they remembered what was going on and where they needed to be.

After quick farewells, both hustled off in opposite directions.

Jack heading to the infirmary where he received the good word that Teal'c would recover, but the bad news that he was in a coma and it was uncertain as to when he would wake up.

"It's a miracle that he's still alive, he should have been dead already, but he is quite strong. If the Kelownan's hadn't had that tritonen we sent them, he would be dead for sure."

O'Neill barely registered what the doctor had just said, nodding his head and saying something about it being 'just a lot more paperwork.'

Something odd was going on – this was something new for the Goa'uld to do. They would never let a prisoner go, especially one as important as Teal'c. Even that damned little voice in his head agreed that this behavior was extremely unorthodox. And it only left for more questions. _Had Daniel been dumped near death on some random planet? How do these Goa'uld keep tapping into the 'gates?_  
It was just a swarm of questions in his mind, echoing and bouncing around inside his skull. The buzz of activity was making his head hurt. O'Neill dropped to the ground, holding his aching head in his hands and groaning in pain.

The doctors around him acted quickly in alarm and loaded him up onto a bed and started poking and prodding at his neck and back.

"What the hell's happening, doc," Jack gasped, trying to hold his head but someone was pinning his hands down at his side. "It hurts, _oh god_! It **_hurts_**!"

* * *

**Goa'uld World**

"Why are you trying to defend them – they're the ones that left us to this fate!"

"Are you so sure about that?"

"Of course I am! Why should I believe otherwise?"

"Because they're good people!"

"Oh, sure, and that's why we've both been tortured and held prisoner for almost a year now! They're _really great_ people."

"But why would they leave us?"

"Because they don't care! They never really cared, we both know that."

"What about Janet?"

"They never care about her either, why else would they have sent her out to her death?"

"They were trying to save lives."

"By sacrificing hers."

"What about James? James and all the others from school and the digs?"

"James, joined the SGC, and the others don't know anything about it!"

"So?"

"So, that means that James doesn't care and if they others do, they are in no position to do anything about it. What do you think?"

"That doesn't mean that they're bad people, just that they haven't found us yet."

"Found us! They aren't looking!"

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I know them!"

Daniel tossed the cup he was holding across the, growling in fury as the glass shattered.

Nadira frowned and stooped to pick up the shards of glass.

"This fighting will get us no wheres, Daniel. And having a temper tantrum won't get us rescued, either."

The shaggy haired man scowled and the crouching woman and clenched his fists, "you think you know everything, but you don't! I've been with the SGC for years, and I've been friends with them through thick and thin."

"So you think they will rescue us?"

"Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying for the past two days?"

"Oh poppet," Nadir finished picking up the broken cup and set the pieces down on the little metal tray that held the remains of their last meal. "Don't start up again! Just tell me what you're thinking, finish your thoughts."

"They aren't coming!"

"But Daniel, they will! They're good people, haven't _you_ been listening to _anything _I've been saying? They'll come!"

Another burst of fury caused Daniel to side check the cell wall so hard that he made a dent in the solid metal. Nadira, terrified by his show of strength and rage, quickly retreated to the far corner of the cell and looked at this tormented young man.

She saw the nearing shoulder length hair, the strained eyes encircled by red lids and wrinkles that come with exhaustion. The scraggly beard, which had at first seemed sexy, was now several inches long and peppered with prematurely graying whiskers.

The remains of Daniel's shirt and vest had long ago worn out, and now were mix and matched with a tunic crudely made out of a salvaged blanket.

All together, the prisoner only vaguely resembled the Daniel Jackson that had been whisked away from the Earth 'gate room. Even his eyes were changed, instead of being kindled with the light of life and knowledge; there was a dull glaze of acceptance, pain and sorrow that only seldom lit with a blaze of raw emotion. Rage, hate, and passion… they were the only sparks to fill his waxy eyes.

Nadira repressed a shudder.

She had done this to the Tau'ri, but know it was up to her and her sisters as to what to do with him. The compassion she had felt for him had grown, yet the threat this alliance between the Toak'ra, Jaffa, Tau'ri and Asguard was too dangerous to ignore.

Akil would be dealt with, but what would they do with this damaged man?

A low growl from Daniel broke her silent reverie and she looked over to the man she had helped destroy.

"I think you're right, poppet," she sighed, sitting down and wrapping her arms around his narrow waist. "They aren't coming."

* * *

**Earth, Sick Bay **

"What happened, doctor?"

Dr Joanne Ritter frowned and patted Lt.Cnl Carter's shoulder.

"It seems there was an adverse reaction to the treatment provided by the Toak'ra," she began. "It was caused by the stress."

Carter shook her head in confusement, "why wouldn't it have worked? It's not like this sort of thing can be rejected by the body, so why wouldn't he be fine?"

The older woman shrugged, "you're guess might just be as good as mine, but from the scans and test we've run, it just looks like there wasn't enough room in his skull. He hemorrhaged and that caused him to blackout.

"He was lucky he was in here when he decided to pop, otherwise he might have died."

"Do you think the Toak'ra can help us out with this," Sam glanced over at the deathly pale O'Neill and felt a wave of guilt crash over her. "This all happened because of me."

Ritter heard Carter's last whispered comment and smiled sadly for the young woman.

She knew what heartbreak was, and she knew how guilt worked too.

This would need work.

* * *

_Earlier_

The sun was setting behind the mountain in a blaze of pink, orange, gold and pale blue, setting the glimmering snow into a wildfire of colour and beauty. Jack passed a beer to Teal'c, who merely glanced at the offered bottle before declining with a small grunt.

"Come on, T! This is the real stuff, not the regular kind. Danny smuggled it in just for the occasion!"

The silent Jaffa allowed the ghost of a smile to cross his solemn features, before returning his gaze to the amazing spectacle before them.

"I do not wish to consume any more of this beverage, General O'Neill."

Jack shrugged and made a little noise that stood in for 'more for me'.

"It is not that I dislike this drink, General O'Neill, it is merely that this particular brand of alcohol is far more potent than the type you normally provide."

Finally, Jacob couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Y' know," he croaked after graining his breath a few moments later, "I miss this."

Jack glanced over at the bemused Toak'ra who was currently nursing a cold one of his own and raised an eyebrow in his own amusement. "You were part of this?"

"Hey, hey, now," Jacob/Selmak leaned forwards from where he sat, "no need to be plain and simple cold, Jack. I meant this… the whole Earth thing. Sitting back, drinking a beer with a few friends. It's been awhile."

"Indeed."

Jack and Jacob both smiled at Teal'c who had silently helped himself to another Molson.

"So where did Daniel get the beer from?"

Jack shrugged, "I think he's got a buddy that made a trip up north and snuck it on base for him. How he got it past, I dunno."

"Well, actually, I stuck them inside an artifact and told the guards not to touch it."

"Daniel! I thought you weren't coming out," Jack smiled, holding out a beer to the well-bundled archaeologist. "What made you change your mind?"

Daniel grinned and joined the three men on their perch, "I noticed that my beer was missing."

* * *

**Later **

_'O'Neill, I'm sorry for the pain you are going through, but I'm doing the best I can.'_

_'It's okay, I know.'_

_'You never used to feel this way. You seemed to hate people like me.'_

_'I didn't just seem to hate, Gorran, I did hate… still do for the most part, too.'_

_'Why do you find me to be different?'_

_'Well… you're just rather pleasant, how about that?'_

_'I suppose that is a compliment, so I'll take it, but that still doesn't answer my question.'_

_'Jeeze, Gorran, I don't know! Maybe it's because you aren't all evil?'_

A small breath of laughter and gentle snickering put O'Neill at ease.

_'That's a relief, O'Neill… how do you feel now?'_

_'Numb. Is that supposed to happen?'_

_'You've experienced this before, why do you need to ask?'_

_'Well, last time I wasn't exactly willing, is all.'_

_'Ah, well, I can guess how reluctant you would have been, then to receive this treatment.'_

_'Lets just say I wasn't too thrilled about it, but what else was there to do? Die?'_

_'That's about it, O'Neill. And I would like to thank you for allowing the treatment, as I too may have met my end were it not for your allowance.'_

Jack shrugged, _'whatever it takes, I guess.'_


End file.
